Chapter 211 Esme, I Want to Know the Truth
Sierra was about to say something when she spotted Henry at the end of the hallway, just chilling in his wheelchair, his blue eyes all mysterious and stuff.
Sierra went quiet, choosing to stay silent. Firstly, she was afraid of Henry's retaliation. Secondly, she still had feelings for Henry and didn't want to ruin anything.
She was all torn up inside and finally gave Grace a sad little smile. "I used to hear from Elodie that you were head over heels for Mr. Montague, and I bought it! Now I see, you don't get him at all. Your so-called love is just as shallow as mine was back then!"
"Move on! Find happiness with some other guy! You gonna regret it!" she yelled.
Grace, looking all stone-faced, finally spoke, "Ms. Williams, how much do you really know about my history with Henry?"
She walked off, and as she turned, the wheelchair and Henry were gone from the end of the hallway.
But Grace had planted a seed of doubt!
After Grace went downstairs and left, Sierra leaned against the wall, trying to calm down. After a bit, she remembered something and dashed to the end of the hallway.
There he was, Henry.
Sierra saw Henry sitting in his wheelchair, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window towards the first floor. She knew he was looking at Grace, the woman he loved.
Sierra slowly walked towards him, her high heels clicking on the polished tiles, but Henry didn't turn around. He didn't look back, just like he never noticed her feelings all these years, totally ignoring her affection. He always shut her out.
Sierra couldn't take it anymore. She stood behind him and called out, her voice full of emotion. "Mr. Montague, you still can't forget her?"
Henry didn't answer. He didn't even glance back at Sierra. To him, she was a nobody.
Sierra ditched her pride. She squatted beside Henry, tears in her eyes, her voice all choked up. "She's with someone else now. She might even marry him soon! Why do you still love her? She doesn't deserve you."
Henry's voice turned ice-cold. Without even glancing at her, he uttered indifferently, "What's it to you? If you don't want to be thrown out of Evergreen City, steer clear of me, Ms. Williams. I'll reiterate: I have absolutely no interest in you."
With that, Henry wheeled himself away.
From start to finish, he didn't even glance her way, like she was invisible, like she didn't matter.
Sierra finally broke down in tears. Yeah, she didn't matter. Even now, Henry still ignored her, still didn't look at her.
She yelled at his retreating back. "I love you more than she does!"
Henry heard her. He lowered his eyes and gave a sad little smile, remembering how he once begged Grace to love him again; but after all he'd been through, after ending up like this, he hoped she wouldn't love him!
If Grace didn't love him, she wouldn't lose anything again.
If Grace didn't love him, she could start fresh, be safe and happy.
After getting in the car, Grace stayed quiet.
Owen noticed something was off. He gently took her hand, his voice soft. "What's on your mind?"
Grace turned her head, unable to smile, even though she wanted to. "Nothing," she replied.
Owen had dated a few girls before; he wasn't clueless about romance. He could read a woman's thoughts to some extent. Like now, he knew Grace was probably thinking about Henry.
After passing an intersection, Owen pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to look at Grace quietly and asked her straight up, "Are you thinking about him?"
Grace didn't want to admit it. She quickly answered, "No!"
Suddenly, with a soft click, Owen unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned in like he was gonna kiss her. Instinctively, Grace put her hand up to block him just before their lips touched.
That stopped him.
Grace was stunned too. Actually, it was normal for couples to kiss, but she instinctively avoided getting close to Owen.
She looked up, her expression a bit flustered.
Owen was super close, close enough to feel each other's breath. Normally, this would be a moment of passion, but it wasn't.
His gaze was intense. "And you say you weren't thinking about him!"
Grace wanted to speak, but he gently covered her lips. His expression was tender, like a lover's but with a bit more depth.
Owen's feelings for Grace were all kinds of complicated because he had watched her grow from a girl into a woman.He silenced Grace with a gentle touch to her lips, his voice soft and lingering. He didn't know if this would be the last time he spoke to her as a lover.
Owen couldn't bear to let her go, but he didn't want to tie her down either.
Last night at a social event, he heard some gossip about Henry.
Owen thought he had a pretty good idea why Henry was stuck in that wheelchair. He figured Grace should know the truth too. She deserved a fair shot at making her own choice.
He then said, "Grace, if you're confused, go find the real answer!"
Owen was super gentle and continued, "Once you find the answer, your heart will tell you what to do! Don't worry about losing me. I'm giving you the choice, and I'll be here waiting for your decision! No matter what you decide, I'll respect it and still care for you, maybe as a husband, or maybe just as a friend."
"Owen!" Grace's voice shook as she called his name.
Owen gently stroked her long hair, murmuring, "It's not that I don't like you, I'm just scared you'll regret it forever."
He opened the car door. It wasn't like he didn't feel the pain; he'd liked Grace for years. Maybe his love for her wasn't the fiery kind, but the steady, enduring kind that sticks with her.
When Grace got out of the car, she still couldn't calm herself, noticing that her legs were trembling.
Owen watched her quietly for a long time, then gently pressed the gas pedal and drove away. Inside the car, the song Grace liked was still playing.
Owen's eyes were moist. He didn't know if he'd regret this forever, but right now, he knew he had to let go.
Grace watched the car slowly disappear.
After a long time, she finally dialed Henry's number. This was the first time in two years she called Henry not for Taylor, but for herself.
Henry didn't answer.
Grace called two more times, but still no response.
She stared blankly at her phone, and memories from years ago suddenly flooded back like a tidal wave.
"Mom, I dreamed of Dad! Dad was also lying on the operating table."
"Mr. Montague went to Harmony City on short notice."
"Grace, I'm sorry, I'm with Esme now! I'm a regular guy too, I also have moments when I can't stand the loneliness!"
"Ms. Windsor, that agreement was just a joke between us! I don't love you!"
Those memories weighed on her, making it hard to breathe.
Grace slightly tilted her head back, holding back her tears.
The sky started to drizzle, the rain soaking her clothes, but Grace didn't care at all. She needed the cool rain to calm the storm in her heart.
Grace walked in the rain, Sierra's words echoing in her mind. "Do you really think Mr. Montague would fall in love with someone else? Do you really think he would leave his child to be with someone else?"
Suddenly, Grace stopped. There was a fancy bridal shop by the street, and through the big window, she saw a beautiful woman trying on a wedding dress, with a guy by her side. They looked super close, definitely an engaged couple.
Grace was stunned, staring at them like she was in a trance, because the woman was none other than Esme!
Esme was getting married! Wasn't she the one who showed up at Tranquil Heights as the hostess back then? Wasn't she with Henry? Why was she marrying someone else now?
Grace stared blankly, the truth hitting her hard.
But it was such a brutal truth; how could she accept it? She didn't even want to think about what Henry had sacrificed, how he had lived these past years, or what he felt when he showed up in front of her.
That night, at Amara's party, Henry had shown up out of nowhere, and she had told him, "Henry, I'm with someone else now!"
The rain started pouring.
Grace's face was soaked, a mix of rain and tears.
Finally, Esme noticed her.
Through the big window, the two women locked eyes. Esme had moved on long ago, but Grace was still stuck in her feelings for Henry.
Esme's expression was complicated. She saw Grace standing in the rain, saw the sadness in her eyes, and had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Esme asked the store clerk to invite Grace in.
The clerk hesitated because the store's carpets were all imported, and Grace, soaked as she was, would ruin them if she walked in.
Esme still stared outside, her voice soft. "The woman at the door is Mrs. Montague of the Montague Group. She owns Serene Petal Dining. She can afford a hundred carpets. Please invite her in."
The clerk quickly grabbed an umbrella and went to get her.
A moment later, Grace walked in from outside.
She was drenched, looking like a mess, but she didn't care at all. She walked straight to Esme and, trying hard to keep it together, but still with a trembling voice, said, "Esme, I want to know the truth from back then."
Esme hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Change out of your wet clothes first."
Grace ignored her own condition and repeated, "I want to know the truth!"
Seeing Grace like this, Esme couldn't help but feel sad.
After a moment, as if making a decision, Esme spoke, "Yes! Just as you saw! I'm going to marry the person I love! Grace, I was never with Henry! If you want to know the truth, then I'll tell you!"